Sparks on the air
by Bedomy
Summary: Sparks Aircraft and Rockin Lava prepare for their first live concert. The crowd is already here, Rockin's pumped up, Spark's nervous, Rockin's wide awake and Spark's...asleep?
1. Chapter 1

**MLP belongs to Hasbro (unfortunately). The ponies in this story where created by a friend of mine. The songs featured in this story also aren't mine. They belong to their respective authors, which I'll credit at the end of the chapter they were in.  
**

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The morning rays of sunlight were barely coming thru the semi opened window curtain when a dark blue Pegasus walked inside the baby blue bedroom. The room floor was covered with toys, the ones that made noise when you squeeze them, most of them where gathered around a small bed in the corner. The room's occupant didn't want visitors. The mare smiled and shook her brown and blue mane out of her eyes. With a few gentle swings of her wings she glided across the room without touching the ground and landed on the bed. With a triumphant "HA" she flew up with the blue-white blanket… only to find a pillow under them. The mare was startled but a loud squeak made her turn in time to see something small trying to close the door. The young filly realized he was spotted and disappeared in the hallway. Mystical Sound sighed and gave chase. "Give up Sparks, you're going to school and that's final."

Sparks ran like crazy and even tried to fly away; he barely got off the ground before he fell flat on his face. Mystic saw her son's fall and dashed over to him. Sparks whimpered in pain while Mystic checked his snout for injures. Fortunately there was only a minor bruise on the dark blue Pegasus, one of the perks of living on an enchanted cloud.

"Now, now, sweetie, it's okay. We'll put some ice on that and you'll be fine." Mystic said gently while stroking Spark's blue-brown mane. Spark's whimpering stopped but his eyes still had tears in them so Mystic started singing.

" _You're my best friend, best friend_

 _Friend you are the best_

 _And you're just not felling well_

 _Get some rest today_

 _So tomorrow we can play_

 _I want my best friend to get well"_

Sparks smiled when he heard his mother singing. She had a beautiful voice and she knew many songs that could make him feel better but this song gave him an idea. "Um… mommy I don't feel so good…" Mystical Sound smiled softly and shook her head in denial. "Nice try."

Sparks looked down on the playground over his mother's shoulder. They were still high in the air so he couldn't jump off and run away; but low enough for him to see that it was filled with fillies and their parents. He recognized a few Pegasi he met at his mother's birthday party. They were nice and fun fillies to play with but they didn't spend much time together to become friends. " _At least I'll have somepony to play with. But mom's birthday was…. Um… long ago...Will they remember me?_ "

While Sparks was busy thinking about making friends, his mother landed in front of the school entrance. A dark purple Earth pony with a pink mane, that looked like chewing gum, approached the young mother. "Hi Mrs. Aircraft, good to see you again." She said happily. Mystic chuckled softly before answering "Good to see you to Cheer." The mare smiled and gave her friend a quick hug. Sparks looked at the mare hugging his mother; she looked familiar but he couldn't place his hoof at it. "And you must be little Sparks." Cheeriliee said as she lowered her head to take a good look at him. " _Wow… she's pretty…._ " Sparks thought to himself while he tried to answer but… "Yup, that's him." His mother saved him from saying something embarrassing.

"So Cheer, excited about your new job?" Mystic asked the young teacher. Cheerilee nodded with a big smile on her face. "You have no idea how much…." While the two mares exchanged pleasantries, Sparks wondered off to the playground. There were a few Unicorns and Earth ponies around but he was focused on the green Unicorn wearing shades on the swings. The Unicorn noticed Spark's approach and jumped off the swing.

"Yo." The unicorn said in a cool manner. "The name's Lava. Rockin Lava. The king of dance and everything cool. If you need advice on how to be awesome, I'm your pony." He introduced himself while fixing his shades with a spell. Sparks watched the Unicorn in amazement; this was the first time he meet a Unicorn in person. His father, Knife Punk, told him about the horned ponies and how they used their magic to help him during a concert. Knife described as friendly, helpful and all around cool ponies; Rockin was almost everything his father said they were.

"So… does being cool include showing the chewing gum that's stuck in my tail?" Sparks asked nonchalantly. Rockin was shocked when he heard the question; even his shades slid off his nose a bit. He quickly turned his head to check the light green strand of his dark green tail for the gum in question. "Haha… Very funny." He said angrily when he finished searching for the nonexistent gum. Sparks smiled mischievously and offered his hoof for a shake. "I'm Sparks Aircraft, nice to meet you." Rockin stood there for a few seconds but then he smiled and gave him a brohoof.

The two ponies laughed and played with other fillies until the school bell rang and Miss Cheerilee called them inside. Sparks and other fillies ran to their parents to grab their schoolbags and say goodbye. "Sparks, I'll come to pick you up after lunch. Be a good little pony and we'll have your favorite cake for dinner; deal?" Mystic asked while hugging her son. Sparks nodded his head enthusiastically and ran off to catch up with Rockin and the others. Mystic and a few young mothers waited until Cheerilee closed the school door before they went on with their daily business.

Sparks looked around the classroom when he entered, it was a big room full of desks and bookshelves, most ponies already found their seats and talked with their sitting neighbors. Rockin's waving hoof caught his eye and he went towards his green friend. Rockin managed to save him a seat next to him in the back. Sparks quickly sat next to him and looked around once more. There was a big instrument closet and a pretty large toy chest in the back; but the blackboard was definitely the biggest thing in the room. It almost covered the whole wall behind Miss Cheerilee's desk.

"Hello everypony and welcome to your first day of school. Since this our first day together let's spend it by getting to know each other; okay? And since some of you already meet me on the playground and some of you haven't, I'll introduce myself to all of you again. I'm Cheerilee, your new friend and teacher for this year."

"Hello Miss Cheerilee." The class responded. Cheerilee smiled and pointed her hoof at a bright pink Unicorn in the front row. After the young mare introduced herself, Cheerilee continued to go down towards the back of the room, asking everypony's name and hobby. Rockin tried to introduce himself as a big shot by standing on his desk… and if Cheerilee wasn't nearby he would have ended up in the nurse's office. "And finally, Sparks. Tell us about yourself." Sparks tried to sink in his seat to avoid everyponies curious gaze but a gentle shove from Rockin got him out of his seat.

"Um… hi, I'm Sparks Aircraft." He said and tried to get back in his chair but Miss Cheerilee stopped him. "Do you have any hobbies Sparks?" she asked, determined to get his answer. Sparks awkwardly stood there for a few seconds before answering. "Singing and playing…"

"Interesting… would you like to sing something for us?" Miss Cheerilee asked enthusiastically. "Uh… no. I'm not very good at it…" Sparks responded meekly but some of his classmates started cheering him on. "Come on…. We want to hear you sing… Sing, sing…" Even Rockin joined the chant.

"Okay… but only if you don't laugh." After everypony promised, Sparks flapped his wings in embarrassment as tried to think of a song to sing. All eyes and ears where focused on him; waiting the song. And then he remembered one of his father's favorite songs before he closed his eyes and started.

" _My father said,  
"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.  
See heaven's got a plan for you.  
Don't you worry, don't you worry now."  
Yeah!_

There was a moment of silence when he finished; followed by a loud applause. Sparks couldn't believe it; he opened his eyes and saw a room full of happy ponies and he still couldn't believe it. Ponies liked his singing. They loved his talent. He loved his talent. Rockin gave him a quick brohoof before they continued with their class. "Bro, you can sing. Now you just need a band and you'll conquer the world." Rockin whispered while Cheerilee wasn't looking. "Thanks… I guess." Sparks whispered back.

"Hey Sparks. Will you sing again?" Rockin asked. Sparks didn't answer at first. He closed his eyes again, picturing himself in front of a large crowd of ponies. They were all screaming and chanting his name as he walked up to the microphone with his parents. The music started and so did their song. The crowd got louder and louder as they singed. "…rks…" He could see his classmates in the front row "…parks…" Rockin was fighting a huge dragon in the distance "SPARKS!"

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 **Song "Get Well Soon" was written and performed Busy Beavers.** " **Don't you worry child" belongs to Swedish House Mafia.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is a little shorter, sorry. Still hope you guys will like it.**

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Spark's opened his eyes; Rockin was standing a few feet away from with a bucket of water, ready to splash him awake if need be. They were in their dressing room in Manehatten and, if the clock above the door was accurate, they still had 10 minutes before their concert started. He looked at his friend and noticed that he was shaking. Was it from the excitement, fear or was the room too cold Sparks didn't ask; He just managed to calm himself down so he didn't need another dose of cold hooves.

"Calm down Rock, I'm up. Save your energy for the crowd." Sparks replied quickly to his partner. Rockin lowered the bucket and smiled mischievously. "Good. Can't go among all those mares without my get-away- Pegasus." Sparks laughed before replying. "Just drop the shades. You'll become invisible without them." The two friends laughed and joked until they were called on the stage. Calm and cool, they jumped out in front of the cheering crowd of ponies.

Rockin pranced around the stage, showing off his Cutie mark, a large volcano with headphones, before he got behind his turntable and popped in the first record. The music started blasting from the speakers as Sparks flew around the crowd, encouraging them to cheer louder. He landed at the centre of the stage and showed off his Cutie mark, a dark tape-recorder that proved he was a musician like his parents. As if on cue Rockin toned the music down a bit, set the fireworks; and as the night sky got filled with colorful explosions Sparks began to sing.

 _ **Last night I had a dream about you  
In this dream I'm dancing right beside you  
And it looked like everyone was having fun  
the kind of feeling I've waited so long**_

 _ **Don't stop, come a little closer**_  
 _ **As we jam the rhythm gets stronger**_  
 _ **There's nothing wrong with just a little, little fun**_  
 _ **We were dancing all night long**_

 _ **The time is right**_  
 _ **To put my arms around you**_  
 _ **You're feeling right**_  
 _ **You wrap your arms around too**_  
 _ **But suddenly I feel the shining sun**_  
 _ **Before I knew it this dream was all gone**_

 _ **Oh, I don't know what to do**_  
 _ **About this dream and you**_  
 _ **I wish this dream comes true**_

 _ **Oh, I don't know what to do**_  
 _ **About this dream and you**_  
 _ **We'll make this dream come true**_

 _ **Why don't you play the game?**_  
 _ **Why don't you play the game?**_

The crowd went silent for a moment; and then started to applaud wildly. Sparks gave a quick nod to Rockin and they began with their next song. Sparks sang every song he knew while flying around; Rockin changed record after record and set the appropriate fireworks display to enchant the crowd. The concert went on for two hours; and an hour more because of popular demand. Rockin's sweat covered the table, his dark and light green mane was a mess, he could barley light up his horn, much less the remaining fireworks; even his shades were slipping off his snout. Sparks wasn't better off either: his throat was killing him, he was out of songs and ideas; he could barely hover in the air, curtsey of dodging and flying around active fireworks.

They exchanged a worried look; this was the end of their first concert but they had nothing memorable to end it with. Sparks approached his friend and whispered to his ear. "I'm out of ideas, you?" Rockin looked around before answering "We could ask somepony in the crowd…" Sparks nodded and went towards the edge of the stage. All eyes were focused on him, some ponies shouted words of encouragement or wonder to the sudden silence. He spoke into the mike " **Alright everypony, this is the last song of the evening. And that song is…** " but he stopped when he saw a familiar Pegasus in the front row. The stallion had a light blue fur, his right eye was covered by a long black and blue mane but his left dark blue eye shined with love and pride. It was Knife Punk; his father managed to return from his concert in Crystal Empire to see him perform.

And then Sparks realized what the last song should be.. **"This is the song for the ponies that will always love us no matter what or where we are."** Rockin blinked in surprise; that was the song they wrote for their mothers as a surprise when they got home. He raised his hoof in protest, but before he managed to say something Sparks gave him an apologetic look and started singing. Rockin sighed and fixed his shades after he adjusted the turntable's settings to play a slow, peaceful tune; Sparks knew that he won't hear the end of it later but it was too late to pull back.

 _ **Times have changed and times are strange  
Here I come, but I ain't the same  
Mama, I'm coming home  
Times gone by seems to be  
You could have been a better friend to me  
Mama, I'm coming home**_

 ** _Took me in and you drove me out_**  
 ** _Yeah, you had me hypnotized_**  
 ** _Lost and found and turned around_**  
 ** _By the fire in your eyes_**

 ** _You made me cry, you told me lies_**  
 ** _But, I can't stand to say goodbye_**  
 ** _Mama, I'm coming home_**  
 ** _I could be right, I could be wrong_**  
 ** _Hurts so bad, it's been so long_**  
 ** _Mama, I'm coming home_**

 ** _Selfish love yeah we're both alone_**  
 ** _The ride before a fall_**  
 ** _But I'm gonna take this heart of stone_**  
 ** _I just got to have it all_**

 ** _I've seen your face a hundred times_**  
 ** _Everyday we've been apart_**  
 ** _I don't care about the sunshine, yeah_**

 ** _'Cause mama, mama, I'm coming home_**  
 ** _I'm coming home_**

 ** _You took me in and you drove me out_**  
 ** _Yeah, you had me hypnotized_**  
 ** _Lost and found and turned around_**  
 ** _By the fire in your eyes_**

 ** _I've seen your face a thousand times_**  
 ** _Every day we've been apart_**  
 ** _And I don't care about the sunshine, yeah_**

 ** _'Cause mama, mama, I'm coming home_**  
 ** _I'm coming home_**  
 ** _I'm coming home_**  
 ** _I'm coming home_**

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 **Music used:**

 **Daft Punk: Digital love**

 **Ozzy Osbourne: Mama, I'm coming home**


	3. Chapter 3

Sparks and Rockin returned to their dressing room. "What were you thinking?!" Rockin asked, angry at his friend. Sparks lowered his head apologetically "Sorry… I saw my dad in the crowd and… it simply struck me." That wasn't the answer Rockin expected; he blinked a few times before answering. "Okay… but that doesn't change anything. What are we supposed to do when we get home? Dance and tell jokes? Hold a private concert?" Sparks raised his hoof to stop his rant. "You know… a private concert doesn't sound bad."

Rockin frowned but went silent for a minute. He was still angry but he managed to cool off a bit so he was able to think clearer. He remembered how easy it was for both of them to perform in a recording both; they had the lyrics in front of them the whole time, they could take a break and retry whenever they messed up. But this was live performance, another thing completely, they couldn't just stop mid-song and try again, they had to go on and entertain the ponies that came to hear them.

"Well… it's not entirely your fault. I mean, the crowd was pretty clear when they started with "We want more!" chant. It was either that or "Run Colt Run" " He finally said, smile barely visible on his exhausted snout, Sparks laughed weakly before dropping on the nearby sofa.

After an hour of rest the two stallions left their dressing room. They were scheduled to meet Big Note, the owner of "Shining Star" club and one of the ponies they had to thank for making the concert possible. "Shining Star" was one of the biggest clubs in Manehatten and it was considered the birthplace of many music stars, so nopony was surprised to see talent scouts approaching and having interviews with the performers. Sparks and Rockin looked around as they approached the bar. Each wall had a poster or a singed picture of well known bands or singers; the dim lights slowly turned on and off while the older looking mare sang about the moon's river. It was a slow, soothing song, a perfect song for couples that danced to it.

"Oh look, they have a smaller stage in here. Kinda wish we performed here." Rockin commented while passing. Sparks nodded in agreement, this seemed easier then the big concert in the park. The stage had a spherical shape and its dark red color gave him a felling that this stage was meant for those singers that proved themselves worthy; those whose concerts were always sold out.

"Yeah, but then we cou…uh!" Sparks reply was cut short when he bumped into somepony. "Watch it!" said the light yellow unicorn while Sparks got up from the ground. He couldn't see the mare's face because her indigo and pink mane but the violin key on her flank and the spiked necklace indicated that she was a musician; a very angry sounding musician.

Sparks quickly lowered his head in apology and moved out of her way. The mare went towards the exit but one of the bouncers stopped her. Neither Sparks nor Rockin could hear what was said but when the mare's horn started glowing they decided to move away.

"Her interview probably didn't end well." Rockin mentioned when they approached the bar. Sparks nodded in agreement while looking thru the menu. "What'll it be, gentlecolts?" asked the white unicorn whose mane was cut short to the point that he seemed bald. Sparks and Rockin were stunned by the bartender's appearance, Knife Punk told them that some singers shaved their manes to keep cool during a concert but this was the first time they saw somepony that actually did it.

"An apple juice for him and a grape shake for me, please." Rockin asked. Barkeep nodded in acknowledgment and served their drinks. "Cheers boys. And let's hope your next concert is successful as this one." Barkeep said as he raised a bottle filled with a brown, bubbly liquid. "You were at the concert?" Sparks asked happily; Barkeep smiled and nodded without parting with his drink. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." he finally said; Sparks and Rockin low-hoofed each other before replying "Glad you liked it."

"We all loved it." said a familiar voice behind them. Sparks turned and nearly got knocked out by a pair of blue fillies. "Big bro! Play, play!" the younger one with messy black and brown mane chanted as he flew around Sparks hooves. "Calm down Drum, Spark's tired from his job. You can play later." said the older one with brown and purple mane. "Drum, Melody… how?" Rockin was surprised as much as Sparks when his siblings showed up; but he was able to joke about it. "Your first fans are here." he teased.

"Second but definitely his youngest fans. But I digress, good job boys. You even made Big cry at the end." Knife said happily. Sparks smiled widely when he saw his father. Rockin smirked "So… our music melted the ice cold heart of a producer. And they say only unicorns can make miracles." Knife seemed baffled by the statement but then his shock turned into a very big grin. "Um… what's so funny dad?" Sparks asked while looking around. Except his family and the Barkeep nopony paid any attention to him and Rockin.

"Here's a word of advice kids, never insult the pony you intend to work for." Barkeep said calmly. Rockin froze in place, Sparks watched in shock and Knife laughed as he pointed at the barkeep. "Sparks, Rockin meet Big Note, my old friend and manager."


	4. Chapter 4

The music blasted thru the club but it didn't muffle Knife's laughter. He stopped when Sound kicked his back hoof lightly. Sparks and Rockin bowed repeatedly to Big Note and apologized with every bow. Big Note silently stood there and watched their apology before turning around and summoning another barpony to replace him at the bar. He signaled them to follow as he walked towards the big red sliding door with a VIP sign on them. Sparks and Rockin followed nervously while Sound and Knife took Bang and Windswept to the dance floor.

"So boys… How does it feel to be a star?" Big asked while they walked thru the dimly light room but he didn't get an answer from them. The duo was too busy checking out the room filled with private booths, high class snacks and drinks; Rockin even spotted a few musical legends as they passed by their booths. "Hey Sparks look… its Berry Mercy, King's head singer. He is among the few ponies that can sing in four octaves." He whispered into his friend's ear with awe. He was about to continue his lesson but Sparks pointed to another pony that was just leaving. "Check it out Rock… Louie Hoofstrong, Ambasstalion Satch, the unicorn whose trumpet skill is matched only by his kind heart and improvised singing."

"Glad to hear you boys know your audience." Big said with a soft smirk on his face, Rockin fixed his shades and Sparks held his head proudly when they heard the compliment. "Yes we know a lot about… Wait a minute. What do you mean audience?" Rockin replied, the shock on his face mirrored Spark's perfectly when they remembered Big's last words.

"You managed to please the crowd but now it's time to hear the expert's opinion." Big said with a mischievous smile on his face as he got up on the small circular stage to make an announcement. "Ladies and gentlecolts, it's time to break in the new blood." Sparks and Rock looked around nervously as the ponies gathered around the stage. Rockin swallowed the drool that gathered in his mouth as he recognized each and every singer around them. Sparks, on the other hoof, seemed relieved when he saw a familiar patch of blue fur that covered his mother. She smiled apologetically before sending him an air kiss as some sort of encouragement. Knife simply sat back in the corner and waved to them before taking a swing from his drink, he looked amused by the situation they were in. Even thou he seemed relaxed and pleased with his son's progress the feathers on his wings were still shaking.

Knife's shaking stopped when Sound sat next to him and whispered something into his ear. His hoof went around her slender neck protectively while he pulled his wife closer for a passionate kiss. Spark's face started matching Rockin's sideburns when he saw that; sure he did saw his parents kissing before but he was nervous, tired and seeing that really wasn't putting his mind at ease.

"Hey… Watch it… Whose kids are these? Is my wife here?" some of the ponies asked while moving aside to create a small path for two small fillies that were pushing thru to see what was happening. Sparks and Rockin were snapped out of their nervousness when the fillies ram-hug into them. Melody and Drum clung tightly to their brother's neck and refused to let go until Mystic and Knife emerged from the crowd.

"Mommy, Sparks okay." Drum announced happily as their parents approached to pick them up. "That's great honey." Mystic said with a slight blush on her face before giving her husband a disapproving look. "Now let your brother work and let's find a seat before daddy gets Broken himself." Knife smiled apologetically and backed away into the crowd with a soft whistle. Mystic smiled as she shook her head and followed her husband with the fillies in tow. As they passed the ponies started applauding, laughing, tipping their drinks and tapping Knife's back as they showered their old friends with jokes and greetings "Good to see ya Knife…. Like father like son, ponies just run into your hooves… How did you manage to keep your figure after all this years?… Aww, look at those two little angels."

Big stomped his hoof a few times before everypony settled their gaze on Sparks and Rockin again. "Alright… kidding aside… I hope you're all enjoying yourselves because we have two new upstarts to Break In." he started loudly "Since there are just two of them and their concert was just two hours ago and, from what I heard, they already passed the fan base challenge." Some of the gathered ponies grumbled and nodded their heads as the quiet discussion began when they heard that. "Furthermore…" Big's words cut the chatter immediately "I am willing to give them a contract as opening acts for your future tours but... only if they manage to satisfy us in the next hour. So boys… ready to prove yourselves?" he asked loudly. Sparks and Rockin froze when the announcement hit them and the question simply bounced of their ears. Were they ready for such a big step right of the bat? They were exhausted from just one night, no couple of hours and Big wanted them to perform right away with their carrier on the line. But then again… this was their fillyhood dream, they worked hard to get here and beyond. If they passed this chance now they might not get another one…

Rockin suddenly noticed Knife opening the backdoor to let thru a couple of ponies. To his surprise and joy it was his mother, grandmother and elder sister. The three dark-green mares quietly sat down with Spark's family and gave him a warm smile or an air-kiss to cheer him on. Rockin inhaled deeply and remembered his father's advice. " _Life is like cliff jumping. You never know if the next jump is going to be your last. The distances might be different but if you hesitate you will fall._ "

With a confident smile and shades on his snout Rock stepped up proudly and asked "What do we have to do?" Big nodded in approval before answering "I'll pick a mentor for you and you will have to perform a song of your mentor's choice. The song, instruments and the amount of time you have to prepare will be decided by…" His gaze scanned the room before finding a suitable pony "BRAIN JHONSON! Are you ready to rock?" The pony in question was a short, chubby, cheerful looking grey Earth pony with a long and messy brown mane that nearly covered his eyes. "Oh… C'mon Big, take it eazy on the littl' bloke, he probably never 'eard any of my band's stuff." Brain joked as he climbed up the stage.

"Who's my mentor?" Sparks, encouraged by his friend, finally asked. Rock let out a sigh of relief when he heard Spark's voice and Big was visibly grinning when he saw his determination. Rock's eyes scanned the room as he observed the possible mentors. Big seemed like tough manager so he might want to test them with some hard songs, but whatever was going on his head was a mystery. "Do you know Thunderstruck?"

"Hm… Brain, did you decide on the song?" Big asked the cheerful singer politely when he saw Brain whispering something into Rock's ear. "Yes, he did." Rock answered confidently before jumping of the stage and getting his turntable ready. Brain chuckled for a second before joining him to work out a plan of action. "Good." Big said before turning his head back to Sparks "You're mentor will be… MYSTIC SOUND!" Sparks couldn't believe it; his own mother was going to test him.

As Mystic approached the stage Sparks shivered in anticipation, his mom taught him everything he knew about music but she was still leaps and bounds ahead of him in experience and vocal abilities. Whatever song she chooses was probably something he already heard before he was certain of that.

Rock couldn't believe it when he heard the announcement. Sparks was definitely hired if his mother was mentoring him; even thou his mentor also seemed pretty forgiving. Brain tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention back. "Rock, I know the feeling of being second fiddle but trust me, your mate's got a very 'ard task in front of him. It's one thing to learn from a stranger and another to learn from a parent." Rock nodded silently and focused on the original song and thinking of a way to add his touch on it. Brain was CA/CD's singer and his singing was fast, loud and memorable; nopony could help but dance and sing along to the songs upbeat rhythm.

" _Thunder… Thunder…"_ Rock tapped his hoof on the floor as he imagined a growing storm outside and Brain singing in the middle of it. The wind blew with enough force to knock out a tree and the skies light up and unleashed its power every time Brain commanded it to. Rock felt every bolt hit him with every time he heard the drums but it didn't feel right. The combination of guitar riffs and drum beats was great at mimicking thunder bolts. "I got an idea…" Rock announced happily before he started turning the turntable dials, adjusting the sounds and tones until he was satisfied with the mixture. Brain watched him work without muttering a word. When he saw Rock taking off his earphones he approached the young musician who silently put them on his head before giving him a sample of his work.

Misty silently watched her son for a minute and smiled softly "You've grown so much Sparks. Your father and I weren't this good when we started." Sparks grinned slightly at the compliment "But if you think I'm going to let you leave on a tour that easily you got another thing coming." her words didn't surprise Sparks; his mother never let him go out to play until he finished his chores. "You never make it easy mom." He answered happily "So… what song do you have in mind for me?" Misty could hear Spark's eagerness to prove himself and let out a tear of joy when she saw how grown of a stallion her son was. But she was still testing him so she couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. "Hm… Good question… What song should I give you?" she wondered aloud.

She could give him a rock song but that would be too easy for him, not to mention that his throat was still sore after three hours of singing. She searched her memory to find something challenging but nothing came to mind. Every time Sparks heard a song he liked he would look everypony out of his room so he could practice in peace; during those time periods he would only leave his room to eat or to take a bath. And he liked almost every type of music so his range was pretty big. " _Oh dear Celestia help me. I can't think of a good song and the crowd is waiting. I wasn't this nervous since my first day with Knife…_ " and then it dawned to her. Her husband was a hardcore rock-star but for their first date he surprised her with a very gentle song that captured her heart and set her on the life road she was on today.

"Sparks, did you ever hear about this song?" Misty whispered into his ear as they walked towards the free both. "It's called " _Can't smile without you_ " and it's pretty easy to remember but you to sing it like you mean it if you want to impress anypony." Sparks acknowledged her instructions with a nod and sat down. He listened his mother's instructions carefully and repeated the words with her while Rock and Brain climbed up on the stage and took a bow. " Ello mates, great to see you all again." Brain started politely "Ah know some of you are buzy so we'll keep this quick. Ready Rock?" he asked the green unicorn. "As I'll ever be." Rock's answer got him a few chuckles and a supportive cheer so he gave his turntable a last minute tune up before the record started spinning. A fast sound of the guitar, followed by a silent violin filed the room as Brain began to sing. At the same moment the word Thunder crossed his lips the room was blasted by the sound of a very powerful thunderstorm.

 _ **Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder  
I was caught  
In the middle of a railroad track  
I looked round  
And I knew there was no turning back  
My mind raced  
And I thought what could I do  
And I knew  
There was no help, no help from you  
Sound of the drums  
Beating in my heart  
The thunder of guns  
Tore me apart  
You've been  
Thunderstruck**_

 _ **Rode down the highway**_  
 _ **Broke the limit, we hit the town**_  
 _ **Went through to Texas, yeah Texas, and we had some fun**_  
 _ **We met some girls**_  
 _ **Some dancers who gave a good time**_  
 _ **Broke all the rules**_  
 _ **Played all the fools**_  
 _ **Yeah yeah they, they, they blew our minds**_  
 _ **And I was shaking at the knees**_  
 _ **Could I come again please**_  
 _ **Yeah them ladies were too kind**_  
 _ **You've been**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck**_

 _ **I was shaking at the knees**_  
 _ **Could I come again please**_

 _ **Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck**_  
 _ **It's alright, we're doin' fine**_  
 _ **It's alright, we're doin' fine, fine, fine**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck, yeah, yeah, yeah**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck, baby, baby**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck, you've been Thunderstruck**_  
 _ **Thunderstruck, Thunderstruck**_  
 _ **You've been Thunderstruck**_

The room felt silent after the two of them finished and then it turned into a tide of applauses and compliments. Brain moved aside and beckoned Rock to come over so that the crowd could see their newest musician. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT EVERYPONY!" Big had to wait for a while until the room got silent again. "I take it you liked our first applicant." everypony nodded or said a few words of agreement "Okay then, Rock, by the powers invested in me by th….hehehe…community you see here" Big jokingly stood firmly as a priest at a wedding and tapped Rock on the shoulders "I welcome you among the Star musicians. May your songs always bright everyponies day and I pray to Celestia you don't run around the town after you shaved your fur." Before Rockin could ask a tall, skinny looking, white Earth pony yelled "It only happened once and it was for a bet." The elder members of the crowd roared with laughter and gave their skinny friend a playful shove while Rock left to meet with his family and Sparks took his place.

"Should I start or wait for them to calm down?" he asked Big, who quickly signaled them to quiet down. Misty went back to her table and gave Knife a quick peck on the cheek, to his pleasant surprise. The music slowly kicked in and Sparks inhaled deeply to get rid of his nervousness.

 _ **You know I can't smile without you  
I can't smile without you  
I can't laugh and I can't sing  
I'm finding it hard to do anything  
You see I feel sad when you're sad  
I feel glad when you're glad  
If you only knew what I'm going through  
I just can't smile without you**_

 _ **You came along just like a song**_  
 _ **And brightened my day**_  
 _ **Who would of believed that you were part of a dream**_  
 _ **Now it all seems light years away**_

 _ **And now you know I can't smile without you**_  
 _ **I can't smile without you**_  
 _ **I can't laugh and I can't sing**_  
 _ **I'm finding it hard to do anything**_  
 _ **You see I feel sad when you're sad**_  
 _ **I feel glad when you're glad**_  
 _ **If you only knew what I'm going through**_  
 _ **I just can't smile**_

 _ **Now some people say happiness takes so very long to find**_  
 _ **Well, I'm finding it hard leaving your love behind me**_

 _ **And you see I can't smile without you**_  
 _ **I can't smile without you**_  
 _ **I can't laugh and I can't sing**_  
 _ **I'm finding it hard to do anything**_  
 _ **You see I feel glad when you're glad**_  
 _ **I feel sad when you're sad**_  
 _ **If you only knew what I'm going through**_  
 _ **I just can't smile without you**_

Sparks stopped singing and took a bow. The ponies in the room looked moved by the song. Some of them hummed the songs melody while those who came with their date or spouse shared a kiss or cuddled together to enjoy the moment. Big walked up to him and with a satisfied smile on his face tapped his shoulders "By the power invested in me by the community you see here, I welcome you among the star musicians. May your voice keep its fire and may your mane never fall." Sparks smiled and joined his family. They talked and joked for a while and then decided to call it a night. As Sparks parents flew of with their fillies, Sparks stayed behind to give Rock a hug. "See you later bro." Rock said mid yawn "How about next week? I'll be okay by then." Sparks replied happily as the thoughts of rest rushed thru his head.

"Or maybe tomorrow morning?" Big's voice got their attention. "You'll need sign your contracts and get ready for the rehearsal..." Both Sparks and Rockin groaned loudly when they realized their free days were over.

* * *

 **Music used:**

 **AC/DC:** _ **Thunderstruck**_

 **Barry Mainlow:** _ **Can't Smile Without You**_

 _ **Thank you for reading ;)**_


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